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Better cell service coming to Cascades
Many residents of the Cascades area of Sterling say they suffer from poor cellular service, but that is about to change.Invisible Towers LLC, a Loudoun County company that delivers wireless service with hidden cell towers, has built two structures in Sterling that will soon carry service from several providers.
The 110-foot-tall clock tower off Great Falls Plaza near Lowes Island is complete and ready for wireless carriers to install their services. Moving hands may still be added to two clock faces.
The second tower at the Sterling Safety Center on Middlefield Drive, which will be made to look like a 100-foot-tall hose tower, is under construction now.
"It is designed to match the siding, but it's made out of components that allow us to hide the antenna and allow a signal to come through," said Tim Dennis, Invisible Towers president.
Dennis said construction should be completed on the safety center tower by the end of the year.
The concept of Invisible Towers is unusual in that the cell structures conform with the surrounding architecture. This way, people are happier with the look of the tower and can enjoy excellent cellular service.
T-Mobile has already activated service at both sites, and AT&T (formerly Cingular) and Verizon are aiming to launch by year's end.
Sprint Nextel is planning to activate service by the end of the first quarter of 2008.
Roadstar Internet Inc., a Loudoun County-based company, plans to launch wireless broadband service at both towers in February.
Antenna space is also available for Loudoun County's public safety network, now in the planning stages.
New carriers could also be added in the coming months, Dennis said.
"Cell sites are a critical infrastructure for public safety and our community," he said. "Hopefully the community likes what they see."
Contact the reporter at ecoe@timespapers.com
My photo essay of this story is located online at: http://picasaweb.google.com/flyboyed/...
Ed
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